"It was your goddamn CM!" After hearing that, the crowd was shocked, murmuring among themselves, including the media. As they whispered, Shadow interjected, "What? Are you all surprised to hear that? Wow, what a shock!"
The media pressed him, "Can you tell us more details about what happened?"
Shadow took a deep breath, his voice steady but filled with pain. "I am Shadow, also known as Shivam. I was just a normal company employee. My parents died in an accident, and I lived with my sister, who took care of me since childhood. She worked as a doctor in a hospital, a mature and strong woman who always hid her pain. I knew that about her.
One day, as we went about our routines, she called me in the afternoon. 'Shivam, I might be late today because of the patients,' she said before cutting off the call. I took it lightly, thinking nothing of it. If only I had paid more attention, maybe I could have saved her. Maybe she would still be here with me."
That evening, I received a call from the hospital. "Your sister has fallen ill," they said. Panic surged through me as I hurried to the hospital. Upon arrival, I was told she was in a seminar. I waited for three agonizing hours, my heart racing with worry. Then, the words that shattered my world came: "Your sister was found dead."
"What? What are you saying? Are you playing with me? What happened to my sister? Tell me right now!" I demanded, my voice rising in desperation.
The receptionist replied, "She was found dead in her room. Maybe she committed suicide."
"What are you talking about? Where is your manager? Call him now!" I shouted, my heart pounding in my chest.
When the manager finally arrived, he spoke to me with an air of indifference. "What do you want?"
"Where is my sister? Your staff said she was ill, and now they're saying she's dead! Where is she?"
"Calm down, sir. The receptionists are new and don't know the details. I'll check on her," he said dismissively.
"Please, check it now!" I pleaded, my voice trembling with fear and anger.
After a few moments, the manager returned, his expression shifting. "Sir, after checking the data, your sister left the hospital about an hour ago."
I was stunned. "What? My sister said she would be late because of an operation!"
The manager sighed. "That operation was postponed because the patient declined."
I left the hospital in a daze, my mind racing. I called her repeatedly, but she didn't answer. Panic gripped me as I reached out to her friends, asking if they had seen her. They all said the same thing: they hadn't seen her.
Shadow was spiraling into despair, riding his bike faster than ever, thoughts racing through his mind, each one darker than the last. Suddenly, his phone rang. He looked at the screen and felt a chill run down his spine—it was the police.
Taking a deep breath, he answered, "Hello?"
"Are you the brother of Asha?" the officer asked.
"Yes, sir..."
"I'm sorry to inform you, but your sister was found dead in the river. Please come to the location immediately."
The words hit me like a freight train. I felt my body go numb as I rode my bike to the scene, my heart pounding in my chest. When I arrived, I collapsed at the sight before me.
Asha lay there, her body in a horrific state. The white coat she had worn was now stained crimson, torn in places, revealing the brutal injuries she had suffered. Her eyes were swollen, her body battered and broken.
"ASHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I screamed, the sound echoing through the night, a raw, anguished cry that came from the depths of my soul.
The world around me faded as I fell to my knees, tears streaming down my face. My sister, my protector, was gone. The darkness of despair enveloped me, and I knew that nothing would ever be the same again.